Digital Development: What Is the Role of International NGOs? ICT for Development Programmes and Opportunities in the Horn, East and Central Africa

“Trends in international development point to increasing investment in new technologies and a more significant role for information communication technologies (ICT) in the work of NGOs.”

This discussion paper reports on the results of research conducted into the ICT for development (ICT4D) programming and experiences of Oxfam and other international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) working in the Horn, East, and Central Africa (HECA). Specifically, the objectives of the research were to: explore what actors in the region consider good and bad practice; ask where they see the most interesting opportunities in the future; and bring this together in a form that informs the role of INGOs using ICT4D, especially in the HECA region. The report outlines key themes and lessons learned that emerged from the research, including recommendations for Oxfam and other INGOs on the use of ICT.

The report offers the following definition of ICTs: "Any device that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information can be considered an ICT. This includes personal computers, television, radio, email and mobile phones. They offer a huge cross-cutting opportunity to amplify and improve the effectiveness of development work, to enhance the quality of programming and to contribute to fundraising." Oxfam is, for example, already harnessing ICT to enhance the quality, accessibility, and efficiency of its work: from monitoring water points, to delivering electronic vouchers through mobile phones and digitising protection surveys. But, as the report states, there is more to be done.

For the research, an extensive literature review was carried out, covering internal Oxfam documents, academic and industry reports, websites, and expert blogs. This literature review informed the key themes and questions for 36 semi-structured interviews undertaken in March and April 2016 with a variety of stakeholders, including Oxfam staff, ICT4D practitioners from other NGOs, funders, civil society activists, and technology experts. Throughout the interviews, a number of key recommendations, success factors, and warnings emerged. Early analysis of these emerging themes aided the design of a face-to-face workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, and an online survey, which received 284 responses from a wide range of stakeholders.

The following are the key learnings emerging from the research:

• Build on what works, and don’t re-invent the wheel: Most things have been tried before, yet there can be an instinct to develop new tools from scratch. Where appropriate tools are already available, programmes should instead adopt a policy of 'buy or adapt by default'.
• Think local to engage with users and develop local capacity: Local relevance and local production of content is critical to engaging end-users. Models that have been tried demonstrate lessons about dissemination and about supporting local organisations.
• Design iterative programmes involving real end-users: Such approaches produce better results for the development sector - a truth almost universally acknowledged. However, there appear to be skill gaps and structural factors limiting the take-up of these ways of working.
• Scaling is hard, but a common understanding helps: Scaling up from pilot projects is difficult, as is sustainability at scale. A common understanding of concepts between actors would help - as would funding specifically dedicated for the scaling phase.
• Combat survey fatigue by collaborating on monitoring and evaluation: The ease with which ICT can be used for monitoring and evaluation has in some instances contributed to ‘survey fatigue’. Collaborating across projects, programmes and even organisational boundaries can help counter this.
• Open development can create opportunities and reduce waste: There is widespread confusion over the concept of ‘openness’ in ICT4D (open source, open data, etc.), leading to missed opportunities to share resources, reduce costs, and improve results.
• Understand how different private sector actors can integrate with NGOs’ duty of care: For long-term success, local and international private sector actors are critical. A more nuanced understanding of how INGOs can work with these stakeholders is needed.
• Don’t forget about connectivity: Access and connectivity are still significant barriers to participation, despite an increasing perception to the contrary. NGOs have a role to play in advocating for innovative last-mile connectivity solutions.

The key messages that emerged from the research in relation to the role of INGOs active in ICT4D involved: INGOs' role in acting as conveners to improve the use of ICT across the region; collaborating with NGOs, civil society, and other actors, and building a network to broker connections and knowledge sharing between tech organisations, NGOs, funders/donors, and civil society partners; and advocating at all levels to ensure that best practice is mainstreamed in funding and partnerships.

Internal recommendations for Oxfam included making digital literacy - and knowledge of how to apply technology to development problems - core competencies for delivery staff and senior management. This would help maximise the potential of ICT in Oxfam’s future work.

Note:
Oxfam Discussion Papers are written to contribute to public debate and to invite feedback on development and humanitarian policy issues. They are ’work in progress’ documents, and do not necessarily constitute final publications or reflect Oxfam policy positions. The views and recommendations expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of Oxfam.
For more information, or to comment on this paper, email AODonnell@oxfam.org.uk